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...... ....... ... ... ... ...... ...... ..... . .......... . ••••••• ••••••• ••• ••• ••• ••••••• • ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••• ••••••• ••• ••• ••• ••••••• • ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• • •••••••••••••••••••• ••• ••• ••••••• ••• ••o ••• ••••• ••••••• ••• ••• ••• ••••••• ... ... ....... ... ... ... ..... . . ......................... . ... ... ....... ... ... ... .... . . ......................... . ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• • • ••• • ••••••••••••••• ••• ••• ••••••• ••••••••••• ••••• • ••• • •••••••••••••••••••• ••• ••• ••••••• ••••••••••• ••••• • ••• • ••••••••••••••••••• ••• ••• ••••••• •••••••••• ••••• ••• • •••••••••• ••••••• A catalogue for the cold chain An illustrated catalogue of the special equipment and gadgets that have been de- vised to support the "cold chain" is published by WHO and is regularly up-dated. As arti- cles elsewhere in this issue of World Health explain, the cold chain ensures that vaccines are kept cool and therefore potent all the way from the manufac- turing plant to the child . And unless this cold chain stays secure all the way, the vaccine risks having no effect. This can be unfortunate, and even fatal, for the vaccinated child or adult. But worse may follow. If a child is given measles vaccine that has been spoilt by exposure to direc;t sunlight or tropical heat, and subsequently catches measles, the entire community will lose confidence in the principle of immunization. Drop-out rates will rise, more children will miss their vital protection, and more will die. The sixth edition of the Cold Chain Product Information Sheets lists several categories of equipment. They include: cold rooms for bulk storage of Portable steam sterilisers for use in remote health centres. Photo WHO 30 vaccines, refrigerated vehicles, refrigerators and freezers, solar refrigerator systems, cold box- es, ice packs, thermometers and indicators, accessories, sy- ringes, and sterilisers. Infor- mation given includes a full description, the manufacturer, the dimensions and weight, the performance and energy requirements, additional com- ments, accessories, and prices. Some of the items listed are held as stock items by UNICEF and therefore are also identi- fied with a UN IPAC number, indi- cating that they can be order- ed from the UNICEF Packing and Assembly Centre in Free- port, 2100 Copenhagen East, Denmark. The product information sheets were originally issued jointly by . WHO and UNICEF in 1979, to convey technical and purchasing information on selected equipment for the storage, transport and ad- ministration of vaccines for the Expanded Programme on Im- munization (EPI) . The latest edi- tion has more than 150 pages and becomes the first of what will eventually be a technical series of publications issued by WHO/UNICEF on behalf of EPI. To obtain a copy of the latest edition, write to : Expanded Programme on Immunization, World Health Organization, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. The sheets are published in English, French and Spanish. • A Thai Princess calls on WHO headquarters Princess Chulabhorn Valai- laksha of Thailand showed particular interest in the Ex- panded Programme on Im- munization when she paid a formal visit to WHO headquar- ters in Geneva last October. She talked animatedly on the subject to (left to right) Or Ralph H. Henderson, EPI Di- rector, Or Tore Godal, who di- rects the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, and Or Half- dan Mahler, WHO's Director- General. During her visit, she said : "Thailand has been a staunch partner of WHO in trying to attain the goal of Health for all by the year 2000," And she added: "With a proper balance and A willingness to report AIDS? The first case of AIDS- the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome- was described only six years ago. So the numbers of AIDS cases reported to WHO still give only a limited reflec- tion of the scope of the AIDS problem in the world . However, as Or Jonathan Mann, Respon- sible Officer for the wHo Con- trol Programme on AIDS, ex- plains: "Given the emotional and political climate which tends to characterise AIDS is- sues, we consider the reporting of even a fraction of known AIDS cases by national health judicious mix of science and technology for biomedical re- search and health service re- search in the context of cultur- al, traditional values and beliefs, Thailand will certainly reach its goal." Referring to Thailand as "a justly proud pioneer in primary health care," Or Mahler told the Princess: "We are delighted that Your Royal Highness has chosen to devote time to sup- port and assist Their Majesties (the King and Queen of Thai- land) in highly constructive ac- tivities aimed at better health, particularly in remote rural areas." Princess Chulabhorn Valai- laksha was also briefed on WHO's Special Programme of Research Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, the WHO Pro- gramme on Traditional Medi- cine, and the International Pro- gramme on Chemical Safety. • authorities to be an expression of national willingness to deal constructively with the AIDS problem." WHO is encouraging its Member States to set up sur- veillance systems in order to improve the reporting and thus get a more accurate picture of the scope of the problem. The Control Programme on AIDS will in turn be responsible for coordinating, at the interna- tionallevel, the activities under- taken to combat AIDS and will work with countries to assist in the design and implementation of their national control pro- grammes. A total of 33,399 AIDS cases had been reported to WHO up to 28 October 1986. • WoRLD HEALTH, Jan./Feb. 1987 The health care of the future An International Conference on Future Health Care Technol- ogy w ill be held in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on 19 May 1987 to discuss policy implications of future technology, an early warning system, and health care technology assessment as an aid to policy-making. The eo-sponsors of the Con- ference are the Netherlands' Steering Committee for Future Health Scenarios (STG} and WHO's Regional Office for Europe. They w ill report on a two-year eva luation of the fu- ture role of genetic screening, new applications of the neuro- sciences, monoclonal anti- bodies and diagnostic kits, biotechnology and new vac- cines, and the use of lasers in cardiovascular su rgery. On 21 and 22 May, the Inter- national Society of Technology Assessment in Health Care w ill hold its third an nual meeting also in Rotterdam. Main themes on the agenda include quality of care and quality of life, and technology transfer. Founded in 1985, the Society encourages research, educa- tion, cooperation and the ex- change of information on the clinica l and socia l implications of health care technologies. lt also provides editoria l direct ion for the International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, published by Cam- bridge University Press. For further details of either meeting, please contact: Health Council of the Nether- lands, P.O. Box 90517, 2509 LM The Hague, Netherlands . • High technology helps to de- tect brain tumours in Brazil. Photo WHO/PAHO W ORLD HEALTH, Jan ./Feb. 1987 Newsbriefs • New collaborating centre. Disabled people throughout East Asia and the Pacific will be able to benefit from the expertise and services of Hong Kong 's MacLehose M edical Rehabilitation Centre, which has now been designated a WHO Collaborating Centre for Rehabilitation. There are at least 100 million disabled people in the Western Pacific Region alone, 75 per cent of whom live without any outside help. The MacLehose Centre will help to promote community-based rehabilitation and will coordinate activities among coun tries in the region in the field of rehabilitation. • UN Volunteers. The United Nations Volunteers programme (uNv) marked its 15 years of service to development with a high-level inter-governmental meeting on "in ternational volunteerism and develop- ment. " Held in Maseru, capital of the southern African state of Lesotho, in November, the meeting reviewed the im- pact of volunteer service on the recipient countries, and identified ways to increase the usefulness of volunteer work as a cost-effective relevant tool for technical cooperation. UNV comprises some 1,200 2N0lJNVHIGHl(~ll oo;T[R()OV[ RNME HTAL M [["!ING MASERU, lESOTHO 16-21 November 1986 unv professionally qualified and experienced volunteers originating in 85 countries and serving in more than 90 developing countries. • Snakebite. A 27-minute video film called "Snakebite! " offers a chance for a wide audience to learn how to distinguish poisonous from non-poisonous snakes, and what firs t aid to give to victims. Already shown in India, Nigeria, and the United States, the film won the Best Professional award at an international wildlife film festiva l in Montana, USA. For purchase or rental prices, contact the makers of the film, Development through Self-Reliance, Inc., P. 0. Box 281, 9527 Good Lion Road, Columbia, Maryland 2,1045, USA. • Diagnosing leprosy. A new method of diagnosing leprosy should shortly be introduced into national leprosy control pro- grammes in WHO 's Western Pacific region. The new method uses a chemically synthesised antigen which enables simple and early detection of leprosy bacteria infection in the human body before any outward symptoms appear. Multi-drug therapy should then be even more effective in bringing the disease under control in the patient. According to Regional Director Or Hiroshi Nakajima, " with th is new diagnostic method and multi-drug therapy, together with recent progress in development of vaccines, the eradication of leprosy is no longer just a dream. " • Child labour. In some Asian countries today, child workers aged under 15 years represent as much as 11 per cent of the entire labour force, according to an International Labour Organis- ation (!LO) publication, Child Labour : a briefing manual. In parts of Africa the proportion is as high as 17 per cent, and available estimates from some Latin American coun tries indicate that between 12 and 26 per cent of the children may be at work. The worldwide army of working children numbers at least 100 million, and quite possibly nearly twice as many, the ILO study estimated. • Change of name. WHO 's Advisory Comm"ittee on Medical Research (ACMR) has been renamed the Advisory Committee on Health Research (ACHR). The Committee was originally established in 1959 "in order to provide the Director-General with the necessary scien tific advice in relation to the research pro- gramme. " Its members are top-level world scientists, including numerous Nobel Prize w inners. The change in name from ACMR to ACHR reflects a new approach which gives added emphasis to health protection and promotion without neglecting the importance of strictly medical research. In the next issue Many avoidable il lnesses are caused by improperly prepared or improperly stored foods. The .more people are made aware of simple prec;autions that must be taken, the fewer such illnesses there w ill be. Food manufacturers, the touri st industry, housewives and health personnel of all categories have a role to play in ensuring Food Safety- the theme of the March issue of World Health. Authors of tne Month Dr Halfdan MAHLER is Direc- tor-General of the World Health Organization. Dr Ralph H. HENDERSON is Di- rector of WHO's Expanded Pro- gramme on Immunization. Mr Donald ALLAN, formerly with UNICEF, is a freelance writer in Geneva. Mr James P. GRANT is Executiv:e Director of UNICEF, New York and Mr Jack LING, formerly Di- rector of WHO's Division of Pub- lic Information and Education for Health , is now visiting Professor of Communications at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, USA. Sir John WILSON is Senior Con- sultant for IMPACT (An Interna- tional Initiative . Against Avoid- able Disablement) , a Geneva- based organization promoted by the UNDP, UNICEF and WHO. Professor Leo A. KAPRIO is Chairman of the Global Advis- ory Group of the Expanded Pro- gramme on Immunization and Regional Director Emeritus of WHO's European Region . Major General Mohammad Ilyas BURNEY is Executive Director of the National Institute of Health , Islamabad, Pakistan , and Dr Faiyaz Ahmed LARI is also with the National Institute of Health. Mr Henry C. SMITH is EPI Tech- nical Officer with the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre ( CAREC), Pan American Health Organiz- ation, based in Trinidad. Mrs Lib a TA YLOR is a London- based photographer specialising in Third World affairs. Mr John F. WICKETT is a Con- sultant with WHO's Smallpox Eradication programme in Geneva. 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